This is Offbeat Germany

[Music] ladies and gentlemen the great German orchestras the bombard Symphony the Berlin Philharmonic the viroid Festival Orchestra our world famous the world unfamous is this jovial outfit let's follow them around as they greet visitors at the train station in the harbor and at the airport and here on one of the steamers on Hamburg famed Ulster Lake the city that gave us the hamburger presents the pond Koken cappella the pancake band can we interest you in some more curiosities fine then come along to unveil a here's a delightful anachronism in this ancient town instant sightseeing at the touch of a button in your own language looking down from the marketplace with its old framework houses a picturesque corner on the river kwai in a watermelon and in the town of the ancient and glorious crown this town actually speaks for itself and now we proudly present the German Federal Railroad well let's say one of its closest competitors here's the engineer I mean Admiral Margaret she races the sail Express across a dam that stretches to the islands of öland and lung and nests on the west coast of schleswig-holstein this convertible streamliner hits 100 miles an hour when the wind is in the mood of course yes it's a traffic light and no it's not unusual but take a look at this 4 horsepower coach modern to the Victorian minute the town is bad kissing him a spa in Bavaria check the local park Trotta jobs where do we go from here well the park looks familiar by now and hold on as we trot some more it looks to us as though the good old days never past [Music] here we are back in Hamburg right in the heart or should we say stomach of this great port we're visiting the Altoona market the place to find that fish delish crowded with ships and stalls Altoona is fragrance and fun it's a fish market because you can fish out almost anything rare orchids exotic birds stylish hats practical furs exquisite jewelry chic socks various vegetables flowers works of art numberless notions incidentally if you're having a wild saturday night wind it all up at Altona the sunday only market opens at 4 a.m. and swings until 10:00 [Music] rather imposing for a small town wouldn't you say a museum perhaps well not really it's the Church of in Tal in the palette innit it might have been a museum though and nearly was the architects simply mixed up the plans goofed shall we say very grandly 100 years ago the columns are Grecian the proportions classical [Music] but if the Angels don't complain why should we it's a lovely monument to absent-mindedness and now finally that promise tripped on the German Federal Railroad a real ride on the rail or should we say under the rails because that's the way they do things in Bupa Tom incidentally this monorail doesn't depend on pedal or even sail power no chain wheel drive for the viewport a light electricity has been doing the job since the pioneer system was opened in 1901 it's the most delightful transportation we know of and it really solves the traffic problem in a graceful high-flying fashion in loop [Music] passengers however get dizzy and prefer to swim this must be the trunk line time for sustenance and there's nothing like soup to give you a glow a locally famous unique bean soup [Applause] no those aren't beings they're raisins of the liquid yes the liquid pure brandy this is a specialty of vats fishin on a resort in East Frisia and if you delicately lick your spoon clean we'll all believe you're a native what is this aqueous agitation what is all the effervescence subterranean Scelzi well actually these 204 springs are the bubbly source of the Powder River which has its mirthful beginnings under an ancient Cathedral in Paderborn Westphalia we have our land of laughing waters here too and moated castles [Music] Monty Cowell Eno has a fine Italian sounding name and of course it's in Germany the cow lino refers to quartz which is what it is through-and-through and it's perfect for summer skiing the deposit is 330 feet high and equipped with a ski lift the 525 foot downhill slope leads right to a big swimming pool wonderful practice for a winter sport and competition and a great way to acquire a tan by the way if you'd like a souvenir of Monty Cowley no you can choose a lovely goblet made from Cowley no quartz here we are in mines where Ludvig Strasse and the 50th parallel are well parallel note the brass marker which is blithely ignored by pedestrians farther south in Fryeburg another Ludvig Strasse crosses another parallel xlviii as anyone can plainly see and nearby the famous Freiburg Minster one of Christendom's loveliest spires you know to be perfectly honest you really can't get enough of a good gnome and Lauterbach is where they're especially loveable and ubiquitous this town is about 95 miles and three centuries away from BOM peeking into the gnome workshops we see that the little men are molded in clay fired in a killed and dressed in bright gnome colors including just the right touch of makeup along with fairy tales they're among Germany's most popular exports [Music] do by all means buy a fine clock while you're in Germany let us recommend this accurate baroque timepiece the largest German sundial in the Black Forest town of st. Blaise yeah it's accurate to the hour and you won't miss the sweep second hand it only quits when the Sun does but that's as rare in these parts as our clock itself if you can give up smoking for a few seconds you can enjoy this wooden bridge which spans the Rhine in the southern Black Forest at second and smoking is not permitted the bridge has borne the weight of traffic and snow and age for three and a half centuries today cars rumble back and forth picturesquely protected from the elements and now as a reward for not smoking here's a serenade by the second-hand trumpeter obviously a jet-set type [Music] ladies now you pay close attention it's your turn when the vanishing creams won't do the disappearing act on those wrinkles it's time for a trip to the rejuvenating mill at clips the Veil the sign shows what you can expect the cure couldn't be simpler faster or more fun we simply pour them in at the top then slide them down the hatch and abracadabra out at the bottom good as new it just takes a little faith I think we'll all have to admit fun is really the best antidote to age and nothing could be more fun than the water shoot on the ezr River near Munich these are actually the biggest river locks in the world fully eight hundred twenty feet long the river drops an exhilarating 60 feet of the raft right along with it muscle power keeps the float on course and a good Dixieland band provides the right tempo for a rollicking river cruise through the lovely Bavarian countryside definitely an upbeat offbeat travel idea apartment-hunting Shop the countryside and compare do check the oldest dwelling in Germany an ice age cave in the lovely alchemy valley here's the spacious living room note the couch the practical kitchen emergency exit proven refrigeration and a lovely terrace to boot remember you may find more frills elsewhere but this is rock bottom value with a view of course this is the largest barrel in the world if excuse me sir you're blocking my view thank you and it holds almost half a million gallons of people which is to say 500 guests in this charming restaurant you might guess that most of the visitors are delighted to sample the famous local wines because this is celebrated bad dürkheim note the curious native custom of linking arms this is a sign of conviviality this swaying has a hypnotic effect oh excuse me [Music] Indians in Germany yes and their native German Indians too you'll find their teepees at bad segeberg and place big holes time scene of the annual Karl my festival here in a dramatic natural amphitheater the Wild West comes to life the West has described by Karl Mayer one of Germany's best loved storytellers yes it's the eternal struggle of the frontiersman thrilling hand-to-hand combat terrifying ambush wild chases stagecoach races when they escape oh yes but don't worry the good guys always win what audience would have it any other way statistics don't lie or so they say and there's no reason to doubt what the experts report about Munich it's the most festival happy town in Germany miners' celebrate at the drop of a Stein and the local Brewers are always there to put on a good show [Music] this is the kind of oom-pah-pah parade they've been holding for generations believe me it's just one of the many fun things you can see in Minich and it's all for free so when you visit Germany get off the beaten path your trip can be a wonderful world of colorful contrasts [Music]